Programming Profile

With many parts of the world slowly returning to normal, May’s Hot Properties playlist reflects a move away from pandemic-inspired commissioning, featuring a wide range of scripted and unscripted content.

Unscripted producers seem to be branching off from shows about frontline workers as they look beyond pandemic-focused programming. As a result, the Hot Properties selection for May features renewed variety, although we do begin with two documentaries about the Second World War.

The first is The Dambusters, a three-part docuseries in which British historian Dan Snow examines the build-up to the 1943 air raids that helped change the course of the war. The programme originally aired at the end of last year on the UK’s Channel 5 and is distributed by the UK’s Drive.

The other wartime documentary is Heroes on Deck: World War II on Lake Michigan. The doc tells the story of the US navy programme that trained fighter pilots en masse on Lake Michigan in the wake of the attacks on Pearl Harbour, the 80th anniversary of which is this December. Heroes on Deck is available for purchase from Florida-based Television Syndication Company.

Elsewhere in factual programming, German distributor Autentic is selling The Fall of Wirecard, a documentary on the 2020 accounting malpractice scandal that rocked Munich and led to the arrest of the German financial services provider’s CEO, Markus Braun. The 1×45’ documentary is available in German with English subtitles.

In the wake of hit New York Times documentary Framing Britney Spears, UK channel BBC2 has made its own special on the US pop star. The Battle for Britney: Fans, Cash & a Conservatorship (1×60’) is available from Amcomri Media Group-owned distributor Abacus Media Rights.

Blues Brothers fans will be thrilled to see Jim Belushi and Dan Aykroyd in Growing Belushi, a factual series that tracks the actor’s attempt to break into the oversaturated cannabis industry. The series aired on Discovery in the US last year and is on offer from Blue Ant International, a division of Toronto’s Blue Ant Media.

In the final factual offering on the playlist, UK documentary host Stacey Dooley returns with a second season of Stacey Dooley Sleeps Over, sold by Passion Distribution. In the show, Dooley spends 72 hours in the homes of some of the most extraordinary people in the UK. It was originally produced for the UK’s W Channel.

After a low turnout for formats in April’s Hot Properties, the genre returns to the playlist for May with six titles.

The Brigade is a survival format in which 10 people attempt to complete an arduous journey as a team. All contestants who complete the task will win cash, but the lower the number of people who complete the journey, the smaller the prize money. Belgian distributor Primitives is handling global sales of the format, which first aired in 2019 on the Outdoor Channel in the US.

The next selection, In Sickness & In Hell, blends the survival and dating genres. Four couples put their relationship to the ultimate test when they leave mod cons behind to live together in the jungle. After 20 days of relying on each other to survive, will they decide to get married? The original Brazilian format is distributed by Sony Pictures Television Formats.

Japan continues its strong format output with Perfect Match, a dating show in which 20 male suitors appear in their underwear in front of a woman, being awarded more clothing if they progress to the next round. The woman has to decide which one of them carries the ring that means they’re her perfect match. The series is available to buy from Japan’s Kansai TV.

The final dating format is Married at First Sight: Unmatchables, a spin-off from the widely adapted Danish original. This version, based in the US, takes the people who applied to the show but couldn’t be matched with a partner and sets them up with each other. Red Arrow Studios International distributes.

The third season of Lego Masters Australia is also on the playlist for May. The format, distributed by Banijay Rights, brings together the most fanatical brick builders from around the country, and airs on Nine Network.

The final format is I Can See Your Voice, a singing-focused show that has been produced in 18 countries to date. In the series, members of the public lip sync to a song while a panel of judges helps a contestant to work out whether they are actually good singers. The format is available from Korea’s CJ ENM, which also broadcasts the original show.

One kids’ show makes it onto the Hot Properties playlist for May: Kiri & Lou (51×5’), on offer from London distributor Cake. The New Zealand series currently airs on BBC kids’ channel CBeebies and stars Flight of the Conchords’ Jemaine Clement. Made in stop-motion animation by Anthony Elworthy, the lead animator on Wes Anderson’s Isle of Dogs, the show is about a dinosaur who lives in a forest with her friends.

In scripted content, the crime wave shows no signs of slowing down. Three crime series make it onto the Hot Properties list for May, the first being The Unusual Suspects. The four-part Australian series debuts on June 3 on SBS and is available from French distributor About Premium Content. When a wealthy businesswoman has a multimillion-dollar necklace stolen from her home, the ensuing police investigation threatens to expose much more underneath the surface of Sydney’s affluent Eastern Suburbs.

In Intruder, a wealthy couple are forced to restage a crime scene to absolve themselves of guilt after the husband kills a youth who has broken into their house. As witnesses come forward, however, they are forced to take more drastic measures to cover their tracks. The four-parter aired on the UK’s Channel 5 at the beginning of April and is distributed by ITV Studios.

Long-awaited crime procedural Whitstable Pearl, from the UK’s Cineflix Rights, is also on the list. Starring Kerry Godliman (After Life) and based on Julie Wassmer’s detective novels, the show has been made for streamer Acorn TV in the US. Lilyhammer’s Oystein Karlsen is on board as an exec producer for the six-parter.

Germany also brings crime to the playlist. Maleficius – A.I. Will End You, from Bavaria Media International, is a feature thriller made for TV. The plot focuses on murder victims who are linked to an experimental neuroscience lab.

Moving away from crime, the playlist features a number of scripted series set in decades gone by. Spanish series Two Lives shows a woman who feels trapped in modern life, connected to her grandmother through a collection of secret diaries. The series shows both the present day and the 1950s as the two women live their lives simultaneously. StudioCanal is the distributor.

Sherman’s Showcase, from AMC Studios, is a comedy that pays tribute to classic US musical variety shows like Soul Train (which first aired in 1971). Featuring guest stars such as singer Ne-yo and actor Tiffany Haddish, the show is exec produced by R&B star John Legend. So far, Sherman’s Showcase has aired for one season plus a black history special, with original broadcaster AMC confirming a second season this year.

Going further back in time, Voltaire in Love is a four-part drama capturing the life of the 18th century French philosopher who was eventually exiled. The series was shown on France Télévisions and is on offer from Germany’s ZDF Enterprises.

Japan’s NHK takes us back to the 16th century with Awaiting Kirin, a historical drama set in the time of warlords. It focuses on Akechi, who has been groomed as a military leader his whole life but only wants peace. The show is distributed by NHK Enterprises.

Elsewhere, another TV movie on the May playlist, 10 Steps to Love, follows Sophie, who decides that her 10-step process to life can be applied to romance too. When she meets two men in different circumstances, however, she has to make a decision between her head and her heart. The 2020 movie is available from LA’s Nicely Entertainment.

Finally, in My Husband’s Wife, after a businessman suddenly dies of a stroke, two women claiming to be his wife and the mother of his child realise they have been played for years and decide to live together and share the inheritance money. The 8×45’ series is available from Germany’s Studio Hamburg Enterprises.

Enjoy the Hot Properties playlist for May 2021!